Secondary School Exchange Programmes
The following is a list of organisations that offer cultural and high-school-level exchange programmes for students aged 13 to 19. Most of the programmes on this list are academic home-stays where students stay with a host family and attend a local high school. Please note that these programmes generally expect students to be self-financing and that scholarships are rare.

Students wishing to spend their gap year in the US should also read the US Educational Advisory Service's Opportunities for Short-term Study in the US and Work Exchange Programmes in the US. Students who would like to spend their summer in the US should review our handout Summer Study Programmes and for those who have finished their schooling in the UK, American Universities Summer Sampler.

PLEASE NOTE Please contact individual organisations below for more information on their programmes. Inclusion in this list does not imply approval or recognition by the US Educational Advisory Service or the Fulbright Commission; it is for information purposes only. Descriptions are supplied by the schools themselves.

ACADEMIC AND CULTURAL EXCHANGE
28278 Belleterre Avenue, Moreno Valley, CA 92555, USA
Tel: 001 800 950 4073 / 001 909 243 6747 Fax: 001 509 696 5293 / 001 909 247 5498
Email: Acelaf@aol.com Website: www.academicculturalexch.com
Programmes offered: Academic Semester/Year in the US
Ages: 15-18 years of age
Length: 5 or 10 months
Cost: $2,900/$4,300
Application Deadline: Not specified
Description: "The purpose of Academic and Cultural Exchange is to enhance the relationship between the United States and other countries of the world by fostering understanding through international education homestays, where participants live the culture on a day-to-day basis."

AFS INTERCULTURAL EDUCATION PROGRAMMES
Leeming House, Vicar Lane, Leeds LS2 7JF
Tel: 0113 242 6136, Fax: 0113 243 0631
Email: info-unitedkingdom@afs.org, Website: www.afsuk.org

Programmes Offered: Academic Year in the US
Ages: 16-18 years of age
Length: Academic Year
Costs: £3950
Application Deadline: Not specified
Description: "Live with a local family, attend a school and immerse yourself in the life and culture of another country. The maturity, perspective and confidence you will develop through this experience is significant. You will learn to adapt to new situations, people, ideas, places and ways of life. The admission boards of many leading colleges and universities acknowledge the unique value of the AFS experience." Students may apply to AFS for grants towards their contribution.

AMERICAN ACADEMIC AND CULTURAL EXCHANGE
P.O. Box 6338, Dept. CS, Ashland, VA, 23005-6338, USA
Tel: 001 804 746 8416 / 001 877 718 2223; Fax: 001 804 746 5490
Email: seigler@ix.netcom.com, Website: aacestudentexchange.org

Programmes Offered: Academic Year/Summer Programme in the US
Ages: 15-18 years of age
Length: 10 months or 4 weeks in July
Costs: Not specified Application
Deadline: Not specified
Description: "AACE provides opportunities for teenagers from many countries around the world to live with a host family in the United States while attending high school. Conversely, high school students from the United States live with host families and attend schools abroad. AACE believes that the enduring bonds that develop help bring the many diverse cultures our world closer together into one global community."

ASPECT FOUNDATION
350 Sansome St. Suite 740, Dept. CS, San Francisco, CA 94104, USA Tel: 001 415 228 8050; Fax: 001 415 228 8051
Email: exchange@aspectworld.com Website: www.aspectfoundation.org

Programs Offered: Academic Semester/Year in the US
Ages: 15-18 years of age
Length: 5 or 10 months
Costs: $4,000/$6,000
Application Deadline: Not specified
Description: "Governed by a Board of Trustees, ASPECT Foundation programs are administered by a professional staff at its headquarters and in seven regional offices throughout the United States. A network of more than 400 Area Representatives support and maintain contact with schools, families, and students throughout the experience."

ASSE International Student Exchange Programs
228 North Coast Highway, Dept. CS, Laguna Beach, CA 92651, USA
Tel: 001 949 494 4100; Fax: 001 949 497 8704
Email: asse@asse.com; Website: www.asse.com

Programmes Offered: Academic Semester/Year in the US
Ages: 15-18 years of age
Length: 5 or 10 months
Costs: $2,800/$6,500
Application Deadline: Not specified
Description: "Foreign students, aged 15 to 18, spend an academic year or semester living with families, attending a North American high school, learning North American culture and language, and sharing their own language and culture. Host families participate in the selection of the student who will live in their home. Orientation is provided to host families and students. Community Representatives supervise and assist in student/family/school adjustments."

AYUSA/CHALLENGE EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATES
Academic Year in the USA, 101 Lorna Road, Hove, Sussex, BN3 3EL,
Tel: 01273 220261, Fax: 01273 220376
Email: enquiries@challengeuk.com Website: www.challengeuk.com

Programmes Offered: five or 10 month programmes studying in a US high school and placement with a US family.
Ages:15-18 year olds
Length: five or 10 months
Start:August or January (for five months only)
Costs: £3,325 for a year, £2,865 for a semester
Application Deadline: 1 March for August departure, 1 October for January departure
Description: "The aim of the programme is to allow students to experience the American educational system, culture, and way of life from within. Students can enrol on either a five or 10 month programme and follow a varied academic and sporting curriculum whilst living with an American host family. The AYUSA programme is administered by Challenge staff in association with our head office, AYUSA International, which is based in San Francisco, USA."

Council for Educational Travel, USA
1403 View Avenue, Centralia, WA 98531, USA
Tel: 001 360 736 6472; Fax: 001 360 736 6525; Email: terry@cetusa.org

Programmes Offered: Academic Semester/Year in the US
Ages: 15-18 years of age
Length: 5 or 10 months
Costs: $2,800/$6,000
Application Deadline: Not specified
Description: "Council for Educational Travel USA (CETUSA) is a non-profit educational and cultural exchange organisation dedicated to providing youth from around the world the opportunity to exchange ideas, arts, philosophies, and ways of life with host families in the United States and abroad."

Council on International Educational Exchange
6 Hamilton Place, 5th Floor, Boston, MA 02108, USA
Tel: 001 617 247 0350 / 001 800 448 9944; Fax: 001 617 247 2911 Email: Highschool@councilexchanges.org
Website: us.councilexchanges.org

Programmes Offered: Academic Year in the US
Ages: 15-18 years of age
Length: 10 months
Costs: $3,200 minimum, plus $150-$200 per month spending money. Application Deadline: Not specified
Description: "During the school year, each student participates in a Community Project, learning the importance of giving back to one's community through volunteerism, political activism, or conservation efforts. Council also provides regional support and guidance to students during their stay in the United States."

Cultural Homestay International
104 Butterfield Road, Dept. CS, San Anselmo, CA 94960-1565, USA
Tel: 001 415 459 5397; Fax: 001 415 459 5603
Email: chijoan@msn.com; Website: www.chinet.org

Programmes Offered: Academic Semester/Year in the US
Ages: 15-18 years of age
Length: 5 or 10 months
Costs: $2,250/$2,700-$3,100 excluding transportation and insurance. Application Deadline: Not specified
Description: "Cultural Homestay International was founded with the belief that the best way to eliminate international fears and prejudices is to learn about the cultures, the languages, and the customs or other countries. CHI considers a homestay the ideal way to develop friendship and understanding among the peoples of the world."

EF Foundation for Foreign Study
One Education Street, Cambridge, MA 02141, USA
Tel: 001 617 619 1000; Fax: 001 617 619 1401
Email: Foundation@ef.com Website: effoundation.org

Programmes Offered: Academic Semester/Year in the US
Ages: 15-18 years of age
Length: 5 or 10 months
Costs: Minimum $5,000
Application Deadline: Not specified
Description: "Students enrol in a local high school, follow a typical academic program, and take part in extracurricular activities. Orientation is provided prior to departure and after arrival in the United States. EF Foundation staff arrange visas, co-ordinate international and domestic travel, and provide airport supervision. Optional language and culture camps are available."

ENGLISH SPEAKING UNION
Heather Wain, Education Officer, The English Speaking Union, Dartmouth House, 37 Charles Street, London W1J 5ED
Tel: 020 7529 1571, Fax: 020 7495 6108
Email: heather_wain@esu.org, Website: www.esu.org

Programmes Offered: Secondary School Exchange Scholarships.
Application Requirements: The scheme is open to school-leavers from all secondary schools in the United Kingdom
Fees:Full scholarship programme
Application Deadline: 14 September 2001 (two terms); 11 January 2002 (three terms)
Interview Dates:10 & 11 October 2001 (two terms); 6 & 7 February (three terms).
Scholarship Details: "Full cost scholarships to attend a US private school for one academic year. School offers free board and tuition; all other expenses (airfare, insurance, and incidental expenses) must be met by the scholars's family (approximately £2500). "
Description: "The scholarship caters for young people who wish to spend a 'gap' year between A levels and university. A group of North American independent schools provide free board and tuition for a number of British school leavers. There are over 50 participating schools in the US including: Taft School, Connecticut; Asheville School, North Carolina and The Stony Brook School, New York."

EXPERIMENT IN INTERNATIONAL LIVING
287 Worcester Road, Malvern, Worcestershire, WR14 1AB,
Tel: 01684 562 577, Fax: 01684 562 212
Email: info@eiluk.org Website: www.eiluk.org

Programmes Offered: High School USA, Farm/Ranchstay, Internships, Homestays and Community College programmes
Ages: High school: 16-18; Farm/Ranchstays 16-25 years
Length: Academic year, academic semester; Farm/Ranchstays two to eight weeks
Start: August/January for High School, varies for other programmes
Costs: High School year: £2,407; High School semester only £1921; Farm/Ranchstays: two week fees are £478, eight week fees are £1057, call for details on other programmes.
Application Deadline: 30 April for August start, 31 October for spring semester only; Farm/Ranchstays have rolling application deadlines.
Description: "This programme is arranged in conjunction with Educational Resource Development Trust (ERDT) which was incorporated in 1974 and designated an exchange programme sponsor by the US Information Agency in 1980. Large network of quality host families, experienced exchange programme coordinators, orientation programmes and 24 hour support. Price quoted above includes host family placement, monitoring and insurance. Students will also need to purchase plane tickets and to bring spending money for incidentals."

Terra Lingua USA
1351 Timberbrook Drive, St. Louis, MO 63122-6720, USA
Tel: 001 314 966 8808; Fax: 001 314 966 8808
Email: TerraLinguaUS@aol.com Website: www.terralingua.com

Programmes Offered: Short-Term Hosting
Ages: Not specified
Length: 10-14 days
Costs: Minimum $1,600
Application Deadline: Not specified
Description: "Groups from foreign high schools participate in 10-14 day homestays in the United States. Students live with a host family and attend school with their host sister or brother. The program is available throughout the school year."

YOUTH FOR UNDERSTANDING
Unit 1D3, Templeton Business Centre, 62 Templeton Street, Glasgow G40 1DA, Tel: 0141 556 1116, Fax: 0141 551 0949
Email: yfu@exchange18.freeserve.co.uk
Website: www.youthforunderstanding.org

Programmes Offered: Year or semester placement in US High School or Community College
Ages: 16-23 year olds
Length: six months to two years
Start: August or January
Costs: £3,795 for six months High School; £3,995 for one year high school; £5,125 for six months community college.
Application Deadline: 31 March
Description: "As a Youth for Understanding (YFU) International Exchange student, you'll gain the knowledge, skills and insights that will prepare you to be a world player. YFU is a long established international educational exchange organisation. It started in the US in 1951 and now includes more than 37 countries. Applicants should possess a strong academic record, English language proficiency, motivation to excel in academic or career courses, commitment to the host family experience, self-responsibility, self-direction, maturity as well as readiness for a cross cultural exchange experience."